1. Plural of miasma; noxious vapors or foul-smelling air believed in earlier times to cause disease.
Usage: historical/medical; often used in historical contexts when discussing pre-germ theory medicine
2. Plural of miasma; a thick, oppressive, or noxious atmosphere or influence.
Usage: figurative

Examples

• Medieval physicians believed that miasmata rising from swamps caused plague.
• The miasmata of corruption hung over the government.
• Doctors once thought miasmata were responsible for cholera outbreaks.
• The factory released miasmata that made the neighborhood unpleasant.
• Historical texts describe how miasmata were thought to travel through the air.